The Paradigm Shift
by independentwriter-137
Summary: "Marinette still loves Adrien. She knows she does because every time he smiles at her, it feels like her heart might beat out of her chest. It's just that when Chat smiles at her, she feels like she's home. She doesn't know what to make of that." In which Chat Noir was right...and she falls for him someday.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N. So this is the big LadyNoir July fic I was preparing for y'all. It basically shows the evolution of their relationship from day one to one thousand. I really wanted to play not just with the fluffy romance element, but genuine LadyNoir friendship because they have such a great one. I also wanted to mix the lighter and darker moments of being a superhero. I'm not quite sure how I did in achieving that balance, but here we are._

 _This is all from Mari's point of view, btw! Also, a part deux will be coming soon!_

* * *

 _-The Paradigm Shift-_

* * *

 _DAY 1_

She doesn't realize it at the time, but hurtling into him might have been one of the most important moments of her life. He's entirely too eager to start this whole hero business while she can barely get her feet off the ground (both literally and figuratively.) He's all charm and jokes and easy grins while she's stumbles and trips and mistakes.

He doesn't give up on her though. Chat Noir is kind and supportive when she needs him to be. His gentles words make her just reckless enough to be brave. She pulls off the impossible, she— _Marinette freaking Dupain-Cheng—_ purified an akuma and repaired Paris.

It's the first time she feels like a hero.

It's also the first time she misses the look of complete adoration sent her way. It's not the last time either.

 _DAY 25_

So the cat puns are a thing. Ladybug honestly thought it might have been a one-time deal, but this kitty loves his puns. It doesn't help that each time he utters one, he gets this smile because he's always so damn proud of himself as if there's bonus point for multiple puns in one sentence.

"You're looking _purr_ fectly _meow_ velous tonight, Milady," he says when she drops down on the rooftop of their agreed meeting place for their first patrol.

That's another thing. He likes to flirt. A lot.

He's smooth lines and playful winks. It would be enough to fluster Marinette, but tonight she is Ladybug and she knows his flirting is too over the top to be sincere. It's not like he has zero social skills and only ridiculous anime as an example—that'd be _crazy._

So she pushes him away by the nose when he gets too close, makes a face when he delivers a particularly cheesy line, and banters with him when she's feeling particularly more like Ladybug and less like Marinette.

None of it means anything anyway.

 _DAY 54_

"So what do you do when you're not Ladybug?" he asks in the middle of an akuma battle of all things. Ladybug can't help but make a face at both his timing and the series of missteps that flashes through her mind when she thinks of what she does when she's not Ladybug.

He thinks they might know each other in real life. She knows he's wrong. After all, she'd like to think that she'd recognize those green eyes anywhere.

 _DAY 63_

"Waffles or pancakes?"

The question catches her off-guard and she almost falters mid-swing. She manages to land on the nearest rooftop with only a slight stumble before turning her attention to her partner. He's grinning at her and he leans on his staff casually, repeating his question.

"Crepes," she says, eyebrow raised. Their patrols aren't exactly quiet affairs—there's enough banter and laughter to go around—but the random question is unusual. His burst of laughter at her answer is bright and vaguely reminds her of the way Adrien laughed when she snapped his umbrella shut on herself.

"I'm partial to waffles myself," he replies once his laughter subsides. "Sunrise or sunset?"

Ladybug makes a face at the question. "Sunset. I'm not much of a morning person."

"I think I like them both equally. Though I think I've been leaning more towards sunset recently, what with being Chat Noir and all," he says. He sets his baton across his shoulders and hooks his wrists over it, looking like he has all the time in the world. "Are you a fan of Jagged Stone?"

"Yes, but I don't see—"

"Same. Pineapple on pizza or nah?"

"Chat!" she says, stomping her foot in mild frustration. He tilts his head at her, but retains that slightly infuriating smile on his face. "I don't see what all the question are for."

He takes a few steps closer to her, but stops once he sees her take her own step back. His eyes glow an unnatural green in the night and the way the moonlight hits the golden hue of his hair makes him look like something out of a dream. "I know you don't want to share identities, Milady, but that doesn't have to stop me from getting to know you."

"By asking random questions?" Alarm bells fire in Ladybug's mind because as sweet and loyal her partner has proven to be, she is terrified of him getting close enough to see past the mask. She doesn't know how much he'd look up to Ladybug if he took a peek behind the curtain and found plain old Marinette.

"Well, of course. See, a week ago or so ago, I had no idea what you did when you're not Ladybug, but I have some sort of idea now," he says. There's a smugness to his tone that she's not sure if she likes or not. He wears it well though, all shining eyes and crooked grins.

"Oh yeah?" she challenges.

"Absolutely. When you're not Ladybug, one of your parents have to drag you out of bed in the morning because you _hate_ mornings, but you've got to get to school. You pull on a Jagged Stone t-shirt at least once during the school year and maybe have a few crepes for breakfast," he says proudly, like he's had a huge revelation and it's enough to pull a giggle out of her.

"Looks like you've got me all figured out, kitty," she says. "Looks like you've narrowed me down to almost every girl in Paris."

He frowns a bit and leans in even closer, reminding her that he seems to lack the concept of personal space. "I'm not trying to figure out who you are, Bugaboo. I just want to know _you."_

The way he says it is so innocent and the look in his eyes are so hopeful that she has to look away. It wouldn't be so bad, would it? She'd like to know Chat too, she thinks, the boy who shielded her from every blow, who looked at her like she put the stars in the sky. She feels something inside herself soften, but she turns away so she can throw her yo-yo at the building across from them. Ladybug catches a glimpse of disappointment flash across Chat Noir's face and suddenly her decision is made.

"Pineapple on pizza is wonderful," she says before pitching herself off the edge of the roof.

The mock-affronted gasp Chat makes is worth it as he follows her. "Milady, how could you say such a thing? I'm so disappointed in you!"

 _DAY 113_

The nightmares start after she watches him blink out of existence with a single touch from Timebreaker. They don't come often, but each time she wakes up, she finds herself gasping with tears running down her cheeks. Tikki does her best to reassure her, but _goddamn_ that cat for always sacrificing himself for her.

Being a superhero who fights villains certainly comes with consequences and she _knew_ there was a possibility that they could die doing this, but it was surreal actually watching it happen. It occurs to her that Chat, for all his bravado and bravery, is not invulnerable. Neither of them are.

After a particularly bad nightmare, she finds herself stitching together a Chat Noir doll in the early hours of the morning. She sets it next to her pillow that night, too embarrassed to actually fall asleep hugging it, and sleeps more soundly than she has in weeks.

She makes a matching Ladybug doll later that week, but only at Manon's request after the little girl finds her Chat Noir.

 _DAY 150_

"I bet Hawkmoth is a cosplayer who needs our Miraculouses because he's too lazy to stitch his own costume together," Chat says one night while they share cold croissants and room temperature soda. It's the best they could manage at this time of night, but Chat regards the treats like they're heaven sent.

Ladybug chews her croissant thoughtfully and says, "I bet Hawkmoth is a guy having a mid-life crisis and couldn't afford a sports car so he decided to pick on a couple of teenagers instead."

"I bet Hawkmoth is one of those people who hates leaving the house so he needs your Lucky Charm to summon the stuff he needs and my Cataclysm to get rid of his trash. It's also why he sends akumas after us instead of getting them himself," he says and Ladybug finds herself fighting down the laugh that bubbles in her chest. She takes a sip of the canned soda to hide her amusement.

"I bet Hawkmoth is really just a misunderstood introvert who's doing all the wrong things to make friends with us."

"I bet Hawkmoth is a secret fan who just wants our attention, like how boys pull girls' pigtails when they supposedly 'like them.'"

"I bet Hawkmoth is secretly a toddler who just doesn't understand the concept of sharing and wants all the Miraculouses to himself. When he doesn't get what he wants, he throws a tantrum, or in this case, an akuma."

Chat can't hold his poker face any longer and breaks out in a fit of laughter that Ladybug joins soon after. They're perched on their favorite spot on the Eifel Tower and their laughter attracts looks from the few people out at this time of night. Chat wipes his eyes as he grins at her. "You win this round of _I bet Hawkmoth,_ Milady. You are truly the cat's meow."

 _DAY 188_

So maybe she didn't have to kiss him for that long, but it's better safe than sorry, right? They have to defeat Dark Cupid. She has to get Chat to snap out of the spell he's been put under and if that means using true love's kiss, then she might as well do it right.

Chat relaxes under her grip and she reminder herself that it's time to pull away. She thanks the stress of the situation for helping her keep her cool.

By the time the battle's over, it becomes apparent that Chat doesn't remember the kiss at all and she's not sure how she feels about that. Relieved, of course, because she doesn't see Chat that way. Disappointed because that was her first kiss and while it wasn't ideal, it wasn't bad either. It was supposed to be Adrien walking around with her first kiss, but that's one less fantasy she can have now. She wonders if the kiss still counts if one party doesn't remember.

She chances a glance at Chat that night when they go out for patrol and flushes. Yeah, she decides, it counts.

 _DAY 221_

"Do you ever wish that you didn't have to go back to your civilian life?"

Chat's expression in uncharacteristically serious, but Ladybug's been waiting for him to say something for the past thirty pun-free minutes. He's been off all week, but he'd made an attempt to cover it up before. Today he's just quiet and subdued, like someone had taken her kitty and took out everything that made him Chat Noir. The question is unexpected, but not unwelcome. She breathes a slight sigh of relief that he's finally clued her in on what's bothering him.

"Sometimes," she admits, careful with her words. "But I suspect it's for different reasons from you. I just mainly hate catching up with schoolwork," she jokes, but it falls flat.

"Can I say something personal without you being mad at me?" he asks, and she nods her assent. "My father is a big deal and he needs me to live up to our family name, I guess. He plans every aspect of my life—when and what I eat, what hobbies I take up, _everything._ I feel like I'm just an actor playing the part of A— _me._ It's stupid, but I feel more like I'm wearing a mask than when I'm actually wearing a mask."

Ladybug nods in understanding. She's been suspicious for a while that Chat's home life was less than stellar, but she honestly didn't know the full extent of it until now. It made her heart ache to think of her wild Chat being forced to uphold some sort of imaginary standard.

"I don't even know who I'd be if I wasn't Chat Noir," he admits.

She clicks her tongue against her teeth at that and taps his bell to get his attention. She doesn't like the way he holds himself tonight. Chat is always such a big presence, whether it's because of his puns or his over the top flirting or his dramatic showmanship. Tonight he is small and to Ladybug, that simply won't do.

"Nonsense, silly kitty," she says. "I know exactly who you are."

The way he blanches at her words make her eyes widen and her hands fly up in defense. "I mean, well, I don't know _who_ you are like I don't know you're identity or anything. I just meant that I know, well, _you_ and that miraculous or not, it's still you. You like puns and lame jokes because for some reason you find them absolutely _hiss_ terical, as you would say. And you like those Japanese cartoons—"

"Anime," he supplies helpfully.

"Yeah, anime. You are _obsessed_ with anime. If I hear another rant about why Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the best anime ever made or how Tamaku—"

"Tamaki."

" _Tamaki_ is obviously the best choice from Ouran High School Host Club or literally anything about that Sailor show with all the planets, I am going to lose it. And you have a crazy sweet tooth! Sometimes I feel like I'm going to get cavities just from watching you eat snacks on patrols. You're kind, Chat, one of the kindest people I've ever met. Sometimes after I've detransformed I see you stay behind to help out the akuma victims. I never ever thought of doing that, but there you are, ready to help them out in the aftermath."

"Milady—"

" _I'm not finished,"_ she says, making sure to look him in the eye so he can see how serious she is. His jaw closes with an audible snap. "You're stupidly selfless. I can't count the number of times you've taken a blow for me. You're patient because I know I make bad decisions sometimes and you don't hesitate to call me out on them, but you're never frustrated with me. I need you to understand that _you_ are what makes Chat Noir, Chat Noir does not make you."

His eyes are suspiciously moist and his features are awestruck before they form into the gentlest smile she's ever seen on his face. "Thank you, Milady."

"You're welcome, Chat," she says sincerely and she doesn't understand why her cheeks begin to heat up.

"So, um, about what you said earlier," he says and for a second she believes he's still being serious, but his grin turns into one of the more playful smirks she's familiar with. "I believe the anime you were thinking of was Sailor Moon."

"Oh _God."_

 _DAY 231_

"Race you to the Eifel Tower?"

" _Meow_ velous idea, Milady. Do I win a kiss if I win?"

"Pass. I know a really good ice cream parlor not too far from there though. Winner pays for the loser's ice cream."

"Bugaboo, they _never_ let us pay."

"Hush, do you want to get your mint chocolate chip or not?"

"Well, you certainly know the way to my heart— _wait!_ That's not fair, Milady! You didn't say go!"

 _DAY 274_

The admission comes softly, so quietly that she almost misses it. It makes her cheeks warm, but her gaze soften. "You're my best friend in this whole world, Ladybug."

She reaches for his hand and intertwines their fingers, redirecting her gaze to the moon. If you had asked her a few hours ago who her best friend was, she would've said Alya, not hestitation whatsoever. But here, with no one but the stars to witness their words, she feels like that would've been a lie. Her best friend is right here, always beside her, always watching her back.

"You're my best friend too, Chat Noir."

 _DAY 310_

"I bet Hawkmoth writes down akuma names for future use in his spare time," Chat says, dodging the Fangirl's spinning blades.

"Really? I always thought he came up with them on the fly, that's why they're always so bad," Ladybug replies, swinging her yo-yo to throw Fangirl's aim off. "I bet Hawkmoth practices his speech about taking our miraculouses in the mirror."

"I bet Hawkmoth writes each variation of his speech down so he doesn't say the exact same thing twice in a row."

"I bet Hawkmoth doodles Mr. Complete Miraculous Holder in his diary."

"I bet Hawkmoth whines about his every embarrassing defeat in that diary."

The akuma stomps her feet in frustration and looks incredulously between the two superheroes. "Hello? I'm trying to take your miraculouses here!"

"Right, right," Chat agrees and absent mindedly blocks another one of her attacks before turning to Ladybug. "I bet Hawkmoth's diary is full of more angst than a bad teenage romcom."

"Based on the akumas he sends, I bet Hawkmoth only watches bad teenage romcoms."

" _Excuse me!"_ the akuma huffs and Ladybug finally gives her full attention to the twelve-year old dressed in one of the ugliest costumes she's seen from Hawkmoth so far.

"Right, sorry, let's get this over with," she says and summons her Lucky Charm. The battle ends quickly enough after that. Ladybug watches as the rush of magic washes over the girl and thankfully takes away the sorry excuse for a suit that Hawkmoth gave her.

"I bet Hawkmoth isn't a fashion designer," she says, nose wrinkled.

Chat smirks at her. "Really? Well that outfit was rather _cat_ astrophic _. Just_ to be argumentative, I'm gonna say I bet Hawkmoth is Gabriel Agreste."

They both look at each other for a second before dissolving in a fit of giggles and tapping shaking fists against each other.

 _DAY 334_

The cure doesn't work. Well, it does, but not entirely. The little girl who got caught in the crossfire of the latest akuma battle still had a long gash running from her elbow to the tip of her ring finger. It would require stitches, no doubt, and would probably leave a scar that would last the rest of her life.

It makes all the insecurities about Ladybug that Marinette managed to bury come rushing back. There's no scheduled patrol today, but she goes out for a run anyway and tucks herself into a corner of Paris where no one will find her.

Well, almost no one. Chat finds her, of course. He always finds her.

Her knees are pulled to her chest and the tears run freely down her cheeks by the time he finds her. He doesn't need to say anything. Instead, he pulls her into a tight hug and rubs soothing circles on her back. She cries until she feels like she can't anymore and lets his quiet reassurances pull her from the darkest depths of her guilt.

"Why didn't it work?" she asks.

"I don't know, 'bug."

"What if happens again? God, Chat, what if someone _dies_ and I can't—what if _you_ die and the cure—"

"We'll be okay, LB," he says, pulling her face away from the crook of his neck and cupping her cheeks in his hands. "We'll figure it out together. Trust me, okay?"

She takes in a few shaky breaths and places her trembling fingertips on top of his own. "Okay."

 _DAY 365_

Of all the days Chat would be late for patrol, she didn't think today would be one of them. Ladybug squirms anxiously from her perch as she taps her fingers on the bag of pastries she brought to celebrate their anniversary of partnership. Could it be possible that he forgot? She shakes her head at the thought. It's all he's been talking about all week. He'd have to get a massive head injury for him to forget.

The thought makes her worry.

Just when she's about to start looking for him herself, she hears clumsy footfalls behind her and she turns to see a very flustered Chat panting as he clutches a bag to his chest. "I'm so sorry I'm late! It's just—I was trying to, well, _here,"_ he says instead and thrusts the bag into her hands. She offers him hers and though he takes it, his eyes stay on her as he anxiously awaits for her to open the bag.

Ladybug obliges and peeks into the bag, gasping when she sees tiny chocolates in the shape of cats and ladybugs. "They're so cute," she coos. Taking one between her fingers, she admires the little details on the chocolate. "Where'd you get them?"

Chat blushes and in an uncharacteristic display of shyness, studies his boots to avoid her gaze. "I made them. I'm sorry, that's what took so long. It was a lot harder that I thought and my kitchen is in a _cat_ aclysmic state right now. I just needed them to cool a little more or else they'd melt and lose their shape, which would've been a huge _purr_ oblem, as you can imagine. They're probably not that good, but I just wanted to make something special and—"

She cuts him off with a gentle kiss on the cheek before leaning back to beam at him. "Thank you, _chaton_."

His lips are parted in surprise and the skin not hidden by a mask is a deep scarlet. "Anything for you, Milady."

 _DAY 387_

Marinette still loves Adrien. She knows she does because every time he smiles at her, it feels like her heart might beat out of her chest.

It's just that when Chat smiles at her, she feels like she's home.

She doesn't know what to make of that.

 _DAY 422_

"Since when can you take pictures on your baton?"

Chat extends his baton like a selfie stick before throwing an arm over her shoulders and tossing up a peace sign. Ladybug manages a quick grin before she hears the characteristic shutter of the camera that lets her know the picture's been taken. "I just found the feature yesterday. Cool, huh?" he says as he admires the photo.

Their faces are squished together and Chat is obviously trying to copy some ridiculous face he watched on another one of his favorite anime, but he manages to pull it off somehow. Her grin is a little too wide, the kind of grin that turns her eyes into slits. Her pigtails are messier than usual and Chat's hair sticks up at odd angles because of the way the wind is blowing. It's everything she could ever want in a picture.

"Send me a copy," she says, taking out her yo-yo and tapping on it experimentally. "Do you think these things have Bluetooth?"

 _DAY 463_

She's started blushing around Chat recently, which makes absolutely no sense because Chat has been flirting with her since day one and it has _never_ worked. It's still not working, she tells herself, he's just gotten better at his delivery.

When he kisses her knuckles, she can tell that he doesn't miss the way she lets her hand linger for a second longer than she usually does. She pretends she doesn't notice the hopeful smile that blossoms on his face.

 _DAY 499_

"Movies or books?"

"I don't really have time to read these day, _minou,_ so I'm gonna say movies."

"But, Milady, books are _always_ better than movies."

"Ah, but that depends on comparison. The movie can't be worse than anything if you don't have anything to compare it to."

"Touché, Bugaboo."

 _DAY 513_

Ladybug practically stumbls off the rooftop in her haste to reach Chat Noir. His ears perk up at the sound and he jumps up, alarmed and baton at the ready. "Something wrong, Milady?"

She nods vigorously and makes wild gestures with her hands in order to articulate what words couldn't. "Those _assholes!"_ she says, her heart still beating wildly and her fists clenching in frustration.

"Who? What happened?" Chat asks, concerned. He reaches for her and places a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I feel so betrayed! All this time, the Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan were right there! How could they sit there with their friends in the 104th knowing what they did? How could they look them in the eye after causing the deaths of so many—"

"Wait, are you talking about Attack on Titan?"

"Of course I'm talking about Attack on Titan! You told me to watch it, you stupid cat, and I've spent the last two days binge watching the two seasons and I am a mess of feels right now. It was bad enough after Annie and now you mean to tell me—"

Her rant is cut off when Chat bursts out laughing. It's the kind of laughter that has him doubling over and gasping for air. Tears form in the corner of his eyes while Ladybug smacks his arm to get him to cut it out. When he finally calms down, he almost starts laughing again when he sees the childish pout on her lips. "It was quite the plot twist," he agrees.

"When does season 3 come out?" she demands, ignoring his obvious amusement.

"Who knows? It took, what, four years for season 2 to come out?"

Her jaw drops and she looks at him incredulously. "You're kidding."

"I'm not. Welcome to hell, Milady. I can suggest other anime to watch while you wait though."

"I hate you."

"You love me."

Well, she can't quite deny that.

 _DAY 524_

"Give me your baton right now, Chat I-wish-you-had-a-middle-name Noir!" Ladybug shrieks as she swings wildly on her yo-yo to catch up to her partner.

"No way, Bugaboo! You're just gonna delete this _meow_ velous candid photo of yourself," Chat laughs as he slips out of her reach.

"You are _so_ dead, kitty cat!"

"You're going to have to catch me first!"

 _DAY 577_

Surprisingly, she's the one who kisses him first.

She always kind of imagined their first—okay, _second_ kiss—to be initiated by him. She certainly never imagined it would happen like this.

He's the only thing on her mind after she frantically calls for her Miraculous Ladybug. She rushes towards the spot where she left him bleeding out after The Tailor stuck a giant sewing needle through his gut.

All she sees is the deathly pallor of his skin, the foggy green color of his usually vibrant eyes, and the rapidly growing puddle of red enveloping the grey concrete beneath him. Her mind is racing—what if the cure didn't work again? What if he's still lying there, unmoving and cold?

Her vision blurs as she struggles not to cry. She finds him just as he's standing up, seemingly unscathed. He catches her eye and looks like he's about to say something before she launches herself at him. He catches her, of course he does, he _always_ does, and staggers back a few steps as he lets out a weak chuckle.

He must feel the tears through his suit because he's rubbing her back and whispering reassurances into her ear. Ladybug pulls back, fully intent on yelling at him for being so reckless, but seeing his face warm and happy and _alive_ makes something inside of her snap.

Suddenly his lips are on hers, or rather, _hers_ are on his. It's nothing like it is in the movies because her mark is slightly off center due to her haste and the kiss is anything but demanding and desperate. She's not pushing herself against him and he's not clutching her face between his hands.

It's gentle, more like a brush of butterfly wings than a bruise. It's soft, more of a whisper of reassurance than a fit of passion. It lasts only a second before she steps away, unable to meet his eyes.

"Ladybug—"

She's saved by the beeping of her earrings and she makes a mental note to give an extra cookie to Tikki as a thank you. "I'm glad you're okay," she whispers, then swings away.

 _DAY 584_

She's been avoiding him this past week. No one's caught a glimpse of Ladybug and there are several shots on the LadyBlog of Chat doing patrol on his own. Tikki tells her that he tries to call her, encourages her that there's nothing to hide from.

Marinette spends the week sulking around Alya, who's thankfully so engrossed in Ladybug's disappearance that she lets the issue go without too much convincing. Oddly enough, her behavior doesn't go unnoticed by Adrien, who asks her if she's alright daily. She blames her lackluster attitude on a lack of sleep and makes a slightly bitter pun that she has the wrong _cat_ titude.

If she had been looking at him as closely as she usually does, she might've noticed his surprise and the slight disbelief on his face. As it is, she's too stunned by her lack of a stutter to focus on him.

 _DAY 590_

Ladybug goes for a run that night, needing to clear her head. She tells herself she is not looking for Chat Noir and running into that cat is the last thing she wants to do tonight. It doesn't stop her eyes from flitting across every rooftop she passes in search of a particular shadow.

She's not even really thinking of where she's going, but her feet carry her to their usual spot on the Eifel Tower. All roads point here, it seems. When the air shifts with the arrival of his presence as few seconds after she lands, she can't say she's too surprised.

"Look what the cat dragged in," he says, and she can't tell if it's a joke that can't hide the bitterness of his tone or a biting remark cloaked as a joke.

Ladybug presses her lips together and averts her gaze. She's been lucky these past two weeks. No akuma meant no Chat Noir outside of patrols, but even she knows the avoidance has gone on long enough. That doesn't mean she knows what to say though.

"So are we going to talk about it?" he asks.

 _It_ hangs in the air like smoke in a burning room and she's suffocating on it. "No," she manages to say.

"Why not?" He's frustrated, she can see. He looks as tired as she feels. Probably hasn't been sleeping much either. He takes a step closer to her and nudges her chin up so she's forced to look into his eyes. "Talk to me," he pleads.

His eyes are so bright that she has to blink to recollect her thoughts. "There's nothing to talk about," she says. "It was a mistake."

"A mistake," he repeats, and not even he can mask the hurt and disbelief in his tone. Her eyes flick to his lips and she swallows instinctively. She should step away. She knows she should step away. "You're lying."

"No," she grits out, "I'm not." She's clenching her teeth as if that will keep her words from tumbling out of her mouth.

"I don't believe you."

" _Then don't."_ And suddenly it's all too much—the pressure of his fingers on her chin, the way his eyes bore into hers, the wild thumping of her own heartbeat. Her foot twitches and she can't tell if she's going to take a step forward or a step back until she finds herself leaning forward and pressing another kiss against his lips.

He reacts sooner this time. His hand cups her cheek immediately and the kiss is firmer and warmer than the last one. Chat holds her as if she's something precious. She reaches up shaky fingers to his shoulders as if he's something that could disappear.

When she pulls away, he leans his forehead against hers, breath minty as it fans across her face. "And what was that?" he asks.

"Another mistake," she answers, but reaches up to kiss him again.

* * *

 _A/N. And we are halfway through! This is one of the longest fics that I've ever written and I'm really happy with the way it turned out. I'm sure you've noticed the recurring themes of "I bet Hawkmoth" and the "_ or _" questions from Chat and a few other stuff. I just wanted to give you guys a heads up that that will continue throughout the second part!_

 _Also, if you read the part where they laugh at the idea of Gabriel being Hawkmoth, I'm sorry that was mean, but I couldn't help it lol!_

 _Which was your favorite day/s so far?_

 _Sound off in the reviews! Virtual cookies to all that do!_

 _-Indy_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N. Oh God this took a lot longer to finish than expected. I've been up to my neck in schoolwork and college is slowly killing me (in a good way!) Anyway, this has been sitting in my laptop for a while, so I figured I'd divide the last part into two, so instead of two parts, this fic will be a three parter. Also, after seeing ~ clips ~ from MLB s2, I couldn't not continue this fic. The adorableness is ahhhhhh !_

 _That being said, this is not season 2 compliant. This is season 2 if I was the creator of the show, which sadly, I am not. Please enjoy it anyway._

* * *

 _-The Paradigm Shift-_

 _Ch. 2_

* * *

 _DAY 631_

"Are we ever going to talk about this?" Chat Noir asks after pulling back and leaning his forehead against hers. His eyes are terribly bright and she can feel the answer to his question build up in between panted breaths. She doesn't want to dim his eyes, doesn't want to ruin the moment, so instead she presses her lips against his once more.

She can tell by his slight hesitation that he knows exactly what she's doing. She also knows that he'll let it go for now, if not for any other reason than because he is, and always has been, patient with her. This won't last. She knows it can't. He'll stop letting her avoid the subject and they'll be forced to talk about things she doesn't want to talk about. Someday, she'll have to put a name to these feelings, but as his fingers tug on one of the red ribbons in her hair, she knows that today is not that day.

 _DAY 667_

"I keep telling you that they'll never let us pay," Chat says as he takes a big bite of his mint chocolate chip cone.

Ladybug wrinkles her nose at him and licks her own vanilla ice cream. "One, who bites their ice cream? My teeth hurt just watching you. And two, I suppose it's for the best. It's not like I have anywhere to store money in this suit."

He catches her watching and takes an even bigger bite just to spite her. "The ice cream just melts if you lick it," he says through a mouthful of ice cream. "Also, vanilla? Really? _Lame."_

"I'll have you know that I love vanilla ice cream."

"I'll have you know that I love you."

The words slip out of Chat's mouth so easily that it takes a moment before he realizes what he said. She wonders how long he's been thinking it, how long the words have been twirling around in his mind, pressing and searching for a way to spill out. He looks just as surprised as she does, but he holds her gaze and he doesn't take it back.

He licks his lips, parts them before closing his mouth and trying to speak again. "I love you, Ladybug," he says more clearly than before. "I always have."

Her mind stops working. Absentmindedly, she realizes that the ice cream is dripping onto her covered fingertips and wonders if the stickiness of her gloves will be gone by her next transformation.

How does she feel about Chat?

He tastes like sunshine and mischief. He smells like leather and sweat and determination and hope. He feels like kindness when he grasps her hand in his, like quiet stability when he brushes her hair behind her ear.

When she looks at him, she wants more than late night dates during patrols and stolen kisses after akuma battles. He makes her want to take off the mask, to offer a part of her identity she never thought she'd be able to share with anyone. She wants him to know her. She wants to call him when she's up at midnight because she's stuck on a design. She wants to know what he'd look like when her parents meet him for the first time and overload him with those pastries he loves so much. She wants to know how he'd dress on their first date—a leather jacket or a plain t-shirt? Jeans or cargo shorts? She wants to see him in the daylight without an imminent threat. She wants to hold his hand and feel skin.

She wants so many things.

And she is afraid of wanting.

She watches his expression go from hopeful to disappointed. His cat ears droop and his tail stops moving. He opens his mouth to say something more, but she reacts before he can. Her ice cream cone lands somewhere in her haste to get up. She almost trips and falls off the roof before righting herself. "I've gotta go," she says by means of explanation before launching her yo-yo.

She half expects Chat to follow her. She's disappointed when he doesn't.

 _DAY 677_

Chat has made himself scarce. She hasn't seen him since she left him on the rooftop. Still, she waits at their spot almost nightly, though she isn't quite sure what she wants to say. How do you apologize to someone for breaking their heart when you don't know if you'll do it again?

She wonders if this is how he felt after she disappeared on him after the kiss. It only adds to her guilt.

 _DAY 679_

"You don't like Adrien anymore," Alya says over lunch, something akin to awe in her voice.

Marinette looks up from her half eaten croissant and raises her eyebrows in question. "What are you talking about?"

"I didn't want to believe it at first because you're Marinette and he's Adrien, but look at you. Girl, you actually got over Adrien Agreste," Alya continues as if Marinette hadn't spoken at all. "You never talk about him anymore and right now he is literally striking model poses and your jaw has yet to drop."

Confused, Marinette's gaze swivels to where Adrien stands a few tables away, doing exaggerated poses for a group project. It makes her smile to see him enjoying himself in an uncharacteristic display of silliness. He seemed almost as depressed as her these past few days. It's nice to see him cheering up.

"See? That's what I mean. That's not your _I'm-so-in-love-I'm-swooning_ smile. That's the smile you give everyone. It's your friend smile. Adrien is receving your friend smile," Alya said, eyes wide and voice dropping to a whisper.

"So? It was just a crush," Marinette blushes.

Alya grabs on to her arm and mimes fainting. "I think I'm going into shock."

"Oh shut up."

"No, seriously. Pinch me. Marinette Dupain-Cheng is no longer in love. I must be dreaming."

Marinette's flush deepens and she feels her heart give a painful thud when she realizes that she _is_ in love. Just not with Adrien. She thinks of laughter on rooftops, of claws tugging on hair ribbons. _I'm in love,_ she thinks, _I'm in love._

 _DAY 681_

She almost falls off the railing when she sees his figure hunched over their usual rendezvous spot. He doesn't turn towards her, but she can tell by the way he straightens that he's aware of her presence.

"Chat," she says hesitantly, taking a seat next to him and gauging his reaction. He doesn't move away from her, but he doesn't look her way either. "Chat, I wanted to apologize."

"For which thing?" he asks.

She takes a breath and stares at her knotted hands on her lap. If she looks at him, she'll lose her nerve and forget the speech that she's been practicing in the mirror these past few days. She draws on her Ladybug strength, realizes she feels more like Marinette, then understands that she is both and that is _okay._

"For calling our second kiss a mistake. For running away when you told me you love me. You've always put yourself out there, even if I didn't realize it. You've never lied to me. You—you've been _amazing_ and I…I was so scared that I broke your heart. When I look at you, Chat, I want to take my mask off. I want you to know me and I'm so _scared_ because I know I'm not ready for that yet. I'm so scared that this might not work. I don't even know if I'm making sense right now because I _practiced_ this, but none of it is coming out right, but—"

"Ladybug," he says and his voice is so startling that her eyes snap to his. He's looking at her with a hesitant kind of hopefulness that's heartbreaking in its own way. It's the look of someone who's gotten his hopes up before only to be let down. It's the look of someone who knows what it's like to be disappointed. She resolves not to be another person to let him down. "What are you trying to say?"

"I love you, you stupid cat," she says in a rush before she can screw it up and almost misses the way his eyebrows shoot up in surprise and amusement. "And you're going have to be patient with me because I'm a mess and I'm scared, but I want to try. I'm _trying_ to try. And I know that might not be enough, but if you'll have me, I'll—"

He takes her face between his hands and presses his lips to hers in undoubtedly her favorite way of stopping her word vomit. When he pulls back, he's beaming at her, looking at her as if she's something magical, something, as she's sure he would say, _miraculous._

"You have me. You've always had me," he says and kisses her once more despite the happy sob that breaks free from her chest.

They pull away when their smiles prevent them from kissing any further and their laughter fills the night, dispelling the tension like it was never there in the first place. He toys with one of her pigtails and she looks at him with what she assumes is a stupidly happy grin on her face.

"I just have one question though," he says after a while.

"What?"

"What did you mean by our _second_ kiss?"

* * *

 _A/N. And there you go! The main relationship drama is out of the way. The next chapter(s) will be lighter and funnier again, buuuuut with a possible identity reveal. I'm not quite sure about that yet. I have a basic outline for it, but I am terrible at following outlines._

 _Anyway, please leave a review on this fic if you liked it or freak out about MLB s2! Both are welcome and loved._

 _-Indy_


End file.
